Unsettling Occurance's
by Slytherin Sorted
Summary: AU: Harry defeated Voldemort in the summer of his seventh year--helped surpisingly by Draco who defected from the Death Eaters. Harry's entire class was offered a second chance at their seventh year. The gang is back at Hogwarts and romance insues!


Chapter 1:

Chapter 1:

Draco Malfoy lay on his windowsill; his cold grey eyes searching the bare and unfriendly room for a sign that a 17 year-old boy lived here—he found none. He knew this was due to the fact that he didn't allow himself to indulge in such luxuries. And if he let himself he was knew his ever-prudent father would make sure to do away with it.  
Yet he searched in vain allowing himself to believe that somehow; in someway he would be allowed such luxuries. And, more importantly, be able to delight in it; rather than hold an impassive position towards it. Draco loved the serenity of being a Slytherin but he also liked having people understand him; which was something that rarely occurred in his life. Often he pretended to hate people whom he secretly craved their attention; or act as if he enjoyed the company of another while secretly despising them. This was the lifestyle of a Malfoy. Draco being naïve—eagerly and studiously had followed his fathers every word. But now that he had been given a choice in things; he was at a loss. His father had been imprisoned in Azkaban; and his mother was on trial because of her involvement.  
Now he had been left to himself—to choose. Did he want to go to Hogwarts? Did he want to stay at Malfoy Manor? Should he renounce his status as a Malfoy? The choices were endless. And Draco, for once, liked the freedom. So he made up his mind—according to his timetable; according to his own opinion. Times were changing and Draco Lucius Malfoy was no one to stop change.

Hermione Granger stood next to her best friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley excitedly talking about their final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
Flipping her bouncy mane over her shoulder Hermione said condescendingly, "Well then it can't be very well Professor Snape can it, Ron?"  
"Well no—"  
"Very well." Hermione said with an air of finality.  
"But—"  
"'Mione, Ron—stop bickering and get to the train." Harry butted in.  
"Right." They both chimed.  
On the train Hermione sat in the Head's compartment with Blaise Zabini who happened to be Head boy—as she was Head Girl.  
Blaise, being no different from his fellow seventh year Slytherin Draco Malfoy, thought Hermione was an insufferable know it-all. But he was a little more tactful, and was polite.  
Hermione listened to McGonagall's lecture and ignored Blaise.

Later in the Great Hall as a Welk, Celeste went to Hufflepuff; Ron turned to Hermione and inquired tactlessly about her status of Head Girl—wondering if she could really take points from prefects.  
"Quiet Ron!" Hermione admonished.  
Ron turned back to McGonagall crossing his arms in anger.  
McGonagall stood and addressed the congregation, "Ladies and Gentlemen I would like to take a moment to welcome back the seventh years from last year, please stand."  
Harry and his classmates stood, "Thanks once more for services offered in the war."  
McGonagall inclined her head in Harry's direction.  
"Now because there is two classes of seventh years we shall have two Head girls and two Head boys. As Head girl's we have Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley! Rapid applause broke out amongst the gathered. "And as Head Boy we have Blaise Zabini and Erick Stafford!" Applause broke out once again but it was less this time.  
"Please be seated." McGonagall said.  
Harry sat and turned to see Ron's face beaming with pride clapping Ginny on the back and hugging her over and over again. He gave a small smile to Ginny and a wink. She returned it. Ron turned towards Hermione and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Pavarti gasped and began rapidly speaking to her twin, who was straining her neck to get a glimpse of the situation.  
Shaking his head at his two best friends, Harry tried to drown out McGonagall's through speech on Flich's rules and regulations. His thoughts turned to his climatic end of summer when he had barely made it out alive of his battle with Voldemort, thanks to Malfoy they had recovered the last horcrux just in time. He tried to forget about it because it haunted his dreams at night but somehow his mind just kept turning to it.

"Prefects show 1st years to their common rooms, please!"

Harry wrenched his thoughts from his summer and stood up along with all the other Gryffindors and headed to his common room.  
Apparently once you're a 7th year you get to live in a new wing of the dorms, which is not much different except for a few excellent accommodations.  
Settling in his bed, Harry tried to relax and rest for the first day. Nerves just wouldn't let him.

Hermione lay in her new two-poster bed with sheets decorated with the Hogwarts crest. The rest of the room was adorned in the Gryffindor house colors. She could hear Blaise's shower running in the next room.

Harry lay sweating in his bed; the sheets stuck to his skin. He had just awoken from a nightmare. Pushing aside his sheets he stood up and tiptoed out of his dorm—trying not to wake Seamus or Dean. Once he got outside he headed down the corridor trying to get to the Heads dormitory.

Hermione listened for a while to the drumming of the shower; until her eyelids started to droop and she started to fall asleep. Suddenly she heard pounding on the portrait that guarded the entrance to the Heads Dorm. Getting out of her bed she opened her door and walked towards the portrait. It opened to reveal a sleepy looking Harry.  
"Hullo 'Mione—sorry to bother you. Couldn't sleep."  
"That's ok. Come in." Hermione replied.  
Yawning Harry walked in and plopped down on the couch in front of the fireplace.  
"Thanks—"  
"Is' ok, Harry." Hermione said sleepily.  
Blaise walked in with a towel around him and upon seeing Harry and Hermione quickly left.  
Hermione looked at Harry; his sleepy eyes were barely focusing as his misshapen hair almost covered most of his face. He had let his hair grow out, and his eyes had a guarded, mistrusting look about them like something traumatic happened to him.  
Smiling sadly at him, Hermione quickly turned so Harry wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes.

"Wha's wrong—" Harry broke off and hugged Hermione. Sobbing into his shoulder Hermione made no attempt to compose herself. She wept for Harry's loss of youth and how cruelly his life was snatched from him, how he took the blow of the war's losses to heart. No one should have to face the horrors he had, and on top of it all, she couldn't even begin to fathom what racking pain he must of felt as he approached his 'death'. What bravery, to be willing to sacrifice himself without question or denial. Hermione knew how painful it must have been to give up Ginny.  
"I come in here for comfort and well look at us—" Harry joked.  
Sniffling Hermione started to smile.  
"Better?"  
"Yeah—sorry" Hermione replied.  
Harry shook his head and hugged her again. Hermione felt like the sister he never had; times like this when he forgot that he didn't have a family.  
He held Hermione until she finally fell asleep and then finally fell asleep himself.


End file.
